Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Duane D Williams

Barry C Worrell

James J Simpson

Paul M Landis

Ronald Helmut Haag

Suresh Deepchand Shah

Jayprakash Uttamchand Raisoni

Harold W Morgan

Chi Thi Ha

Rale Richard Wolf

Robert Phil Van Jaarsveld

Duane Eric Jones

Andrew James Barr

A heated steering wheel with a preformed heating member, having an inner rim portion; a cushion layer disposed about the inner rim portion; and a preformed heating element disposed about the cushion layer; wherein the cushion layer is applied using a molding process and the preformed heating element and the inner rim portion are inserted in a mold used for the molding process prior to the application of said cushion layer therein.

Apparatus and method for a steering wheel with a preformed heating element

A steering wheel assembly has a mounting plate which secures a molded steering wheel to a steering shaft in a vehicle. The mounting plate has a pair of slots having respective longitudinal axes which intersect the plane of the steering wheel at a six o'clock position with an included angle of approximately ninety (90) degrees. The longitudinal axis of one of the slots intersects a transverse axis of the steering wheel at a forty-five (45) degree angle at a three o'clock position and the longitudinal axes of the other slot similarly intersects the transverse axis at the nine o'clock position. The slots are effective to control energy absorption and deflection of the steering wheel when it is impacted at a position other then the twelve o'clock position.

Self-aligning energy absorbing plate for a steering wheel

A method of making a steering hand wheel insert including the steps of: (a) in a gas assisted injection molding apparatus, forming a mold cavity having a ring-shaped outer channel, an inner channel, and a plurality of spoke channels; (b) forming a stationary mold insert in the outer channel dividing the latter into a pair of symmetric outer channel segments having downstream ends connected by a plurality of choke passages around the stationary mold insert; (c) injecting a short shot of a flowable plastic melt into each of the outer channel segments through a gate diametrically opposite the stationary insert and into the inner channel through a second gate; (d) injecting inert gas under pressure into the flowable plastic melt diametrically opposite the stationary insert; (e) maintaining the gas pressure until all of the flowable plastic melt cures in the mold cavity, (f) relieving the pressure of the inert gas, and (g) opening the mold cavity and removing the molded plastic steering hand wheel insert having a hollow tubular rim, a solid plastic inner bracket, and a plurality of integral spokes.

Method of making a steering hand wheel insert

An air bag module and membrane horn switch assembly includes an air bag cover, a membrane horn switch, a backing plate fixedly mounted on the cover in spaced relation to the cover, and a switch containment portion disposed on the backing plate. The switch containment portion releasably captures the membrane horn switch within the switch containment portion such that the membrane horn switch is normally positioned in spaced relation to the cover and such that the membrane horn switch is activated by downward movement of the cover towards the membrane horn switch. In addition, the switch containment portion also permits release and removal of the membrane horn switch from the switch containment portion while the backing plate remains fixed to the cover. Advantageously, the membrane horn switch can be removed and replaced while the cover and the backing plate remain stationary and undamaged.

Air bag cover and membrane horn switch assembly

An air bag module assembly for attachment to a steering wheel is provided. The assembly includes an air bag subassembly including an air bag. A container is provided with the assembly for receiving the air bag subassembly therein. The assembly further includes a frame portion for attachment to the steering wheel. The container is snap-fittedly attached to the frame portion. Preferably, an outer material is formed as an integral one-piece covering over the frame portion and the container. The frame portion may include a plurality of bosses on the frame portion and a plurality of alternating tabs and notches on the container. The tabs each include an outwardly projecting hook portion. The bosses are received in the notches when the container is snapped on the frame portion and the hook portions are snapped onto the frame portion.

Air bag module assembly

A motor vehicle steering wheel having a horn switch assembly including a module mounting plate on the steering wheel, a pair of horn contact plates attached to the module mounting plate in plug-in fashion, an occupant restraint module including a module base plate, and a plurality of electrically insulating plastic retainers. Each of the plastic retainers has a plurality of short legs received in keyhole slots in the module base plate and a plurality of long legs received in keyhole slots in the horn contact plates. When the retainers are twisted to locked positions, hooks on the short legs clamp the retainers to the module base plate. In the locked positions of the plastic retainers, the long legs cooperate with the keyhole slots in the horn contact plates in supporting the module base plate on the horn contact plates for in and out movement through a horn sounding stroke. Springs nested in the plastic retainers urge relative separation between the module base plate and the horn contact plates. An inner end of the horn sounding stroke is defined by engagement of the module base plate on the horn contact plates. Hooks on the ends of the long legs arrest relative separation between horn contact plates and the module base plate to define an outer end of the horn sounding stroke of the module base plate.

Steering wheel with horn switch assembly

A method and steering wheel assembly having a steering wheel comprising a preselected material continuously molded onto at least a driver's side thereof to conceal the air bag when the air bag is mounted to the steering wheel. The preselected material covers at least a driver's side of a rim section, a center section and a spoke section which joins the rim and center sections. The invention provides an integral construction which permits a steering wheel manufacturer to provide a steering wheel having a continuous molded construction on at least a driver's side thereof. This also enables steering wheels to be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes.

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Beavercreek, OH, United States of America

Duane D Williams